Aug. 31, 2017
By Greg Ostendorf
AuburnTigers.com
AUBURN, Ala. -- Between Carl Lawson, Montravius Adams, Rudy Ford and Joshua Holsey, there are four former Auburn players from last year's defense on NFL teams this preseason. That's a lot of talent lost as all four played a critical role in the unit's return to prominence under first-year coordinator Kevin Steele.
That doesn't mean there will be a significant drop off on defense, though. There are plenty of returning players who have the potential to one day play at the next level. They just haven't had the opportunity to showcase their skills at Auburn yet.
"Everybody knows the guys who left and went to the NFL," Steele said. "But those guys behind them, maybe they're leaving and going to the NFL, too. They just are unproven at this point in time. They've got an opportunity now to prove themselves.
"[But] we really don't concern ourselves with comparing to last year. It's a totally new year. It's a totally different team. Really, what I'm trying to do is make sure they understand the focus of each play and the life that it has and then just go through the season like that."
Most people -- fans and experts alike -- will wait until Week 2's showdown at Clemson before they make a judgment on how talented this defense is, but the Tigers will have their hands full this Saturday when Georgia Southern visits Jordan-Hare Stadium.
This is a Georgia Southern program that hung with Ole Miss last year, took Georgia to overtime the year before and stunned Florida back in 2013. They're one of the few schools in the country that still features the triple-option offense, and it's proven difficult to slow down. The Eagles finished No. 29 nationally in rushing (224.17 yards per game) last season.
Preparation for that type of offense has not been easy. Most Auburn players have likely never faced a triple-option offense in college or in high school, and the scout team offense is doing its best to create an idea of what the Tigers might see Saturday night.
So what's the key to stopping a triple-option offense?
"Eye discipline," Steele said. "You've got to play good technique in any football. You've got to be where you're supposed to be in football. But eye discipline is so key there.
"If you've got the pitch, you've got to take the pitch. If you've got the dive, you've got to take the dive. If you've got to take the quarterback ... guys start drifting with their eyes and lose focus with their eyes and now that pitch man is two steps further in front of you than he should be or the quarterback is two steps closer to him than he should be. It's eye discipline."
At times during this week, Auburn has even practiced without a ball. The center snaps a piece of leather on the ground while the other players on offense run through the play. It's meant to help the defenders play their assignments rather than get caught chasing the ball.
There will be a ball Saturday night, though, and the hope is that the Auburn defense can set the tone early and create an identity the first week like it did a year ago in the season opener against Clemson.
There's no reason this unit can't be as good if not better than last year's defense.
Greg Ostendorf is a Staff Writer for AuburnTigers.com.